Hello, my name is Ben Lovegrove and here is this week’s round-up of aviation news from high altitude to below 400 feet.

Each week I bring you selected stories about aerial activity; from space exploration to general aviation, from drones to UFOs.

Head over to Redspan.com to find out how I can make marketing videos for your aviation business.

So chocks away then.

1. Air safety continues to evolve as lessons are learned from every incident whether it’s a minor mistake on a local airfield or a major disaster involving loss of life.

The meticulous investigations by bodies like the AAIB ensure that causes are determined and from them improvements can be made, not just in aircraft design but also in procedures, communications, and human factors.

The 8th January 2019 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Kegworth air disaster in which 47 people died and 74 suffered serious injuries.

British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400 (G-OBME), was attempting an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport (EGNX) when it crashed onto the embankment of the M1 motorway which passes very close to the runway’s end.

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Heathrow to Belfast when a fan blade broke off in the port engine. Due to a variation on the 737-400 type the flight crew mistakenly believed that it was the starboard engine that had the problem.

Consequently they shut the starboard engine and pumped more fuel to the port engine with disastrous consequences.

No less that 31 recommendations were made in the report that followed the investigation, stipulating improvements in aircraft safety and emergency instructions for passengers.

The recommendations also included better communication protocols between the cabin and air crews, and the passengers themselves.

2. The illegal extraction of sand from the river beds of India is being reduced thanks to the use of drones.

However, as much of the extraction occurs at night the drones have been unable to spot the theft during the hours of darkness.

But thanks to the Centre for Aerospace at the Madras Institute of Technology, fixed-wing UAV with infrared capability are now on their way.

Currently, they are using quadcopters for the surveillance and the criminals have been able to track the vehicles of those piloting the drones.

The Indian government’s Geology & Mining Department will now be able to deploy fixed-wing UAV with infrared cameras, and with longer range and endurance.

They are confident that this will increase the success rate of their missions leading to more fines and FIRs.

3. A previously used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the final 10 Iridium Next satellites into orbit on January 11th.

This successful mission marks the end of a two year contract that included a total of 8 launches.

With the final 10 satellites in place Iridium Next will have their new network 66 satellites ready for testing.

This network replaces the previous one and gradually those satellites will be decommissioned and brought out of orbit.

Not only will the new network bring about improvements in broadband services but it will also help with the monitoring of aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems.

And of course it also demonstrates once again how SpaceX are delivering on their promises.

4. Finally, the new year has kicked-off with yet more sightings of the mysterious black triangle UFOs.

If you’ve not seen it there’s a video on my channel entitled, “TR-3A Black Manta, TR-3B Astra – What are these black triangle UFOs?” which explores the subject in more detail.

So far this year there have been reports in; Chilliwack, British Columbia; Garden City, Texas; Omagh, Northern Ireland; Atlanta, Georgia; Franklin, Indiana, and Wichita, Kansas.

Of course, a reported sighting means nothing without investigation and genuine photos or video.

Internet UFO groups and YouTube are awash with fakes but now and again the observer manages to capture something worthy of attention.

Cynics may argue that with the millions of cameras now operating in our towns and cities, whether they are phones, dash-cams, or security cameras, there would be more evidence.

The fact is that there is ample data to investigate but the waters are clouded by all the fakery and misidentification of astronomical, meteorological, or aeronautical phenomena.

If there is no government funding for UFO research it’s left to the amateur groups to sift through all this data.

That’s all for this edition of Redspan Aviation News. I look forward to bringing you more about the fascinating world of aviation and space exploration soon.

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Finally, please like, share, and comment on this video so that I know what I’m doing right and will continue to make videos that people want to watch.

This video was inspired by watching a video of a 16 year old successfully completing her first solo flight in a Ikarus C42 at Popham Airfield, Hampshire, UK in early 2019.

Ultralights (USA) or microlights (UK) offer a much more affordable way for people to enjoy learning to fly and owning their own aircraft.

Ultralight flying is growing in popularity due to advances in materials and innovations in design. Microlight aircraft manufacturers all over the world offer a growing number of light aircraft with surprisingly good performance and comfort.

As well as lower costs than conventional general aviation aircraft microlights & ultralights offer an authentic ‘stick and rudder’ experience, often with the wind in your face, although there are many that offer the comfort of an enclosed cockpit.

Mention microlights to non-flyers and they probably think of flex wing microlights with a single or two seats in tandem suspended underneath.

But as all aviators know the world of microlights includes many types, including fixed wing aircraft that at first glance look like any other general aviation light aircraft.

The advantages of microlights are many; they are cheaper to buy and maintain, they can operate out of small airfields and farm strips, and they are much more fuel efficient.

This reduces the cost per hour of flying and makes them an ideal choice for recreational pilots, as well as for some flight training schools who want an ab initio training aircraft.

Microlights have flown all around the world (albeit with a lot of refueling stops), and it’s not unusal for UK owners to spend a few days flying south to visit European and Mediterranean countries.

These aircraft can be bought in kit form thus reducing the cost and giving you the satisfaction of building it yourself, or they can be bought ready to fly for those keen simply to get airborne.

The cost can be reduced still further by joining or forming a syndicate of owners. This method also brings the advantages of shared experiences, tips and advice, and the social side of it.

So if you are attracted to flying low and slow in VFR conditions, perhaps hoping from airfield to farm strip, then here are just three examples of aircraft for sale.

1. The Ikarus C42.

The German built Ikarus C42 ultralight or microlight is a best-seller. It first flew in 1996 and quickly became a popular choice among flying schools and private pilots owners.

Continued in the video…

For more information about microlight flying in the UK visit the British Microlight Association’s website at https://www.bmaa.org.

For more information about microlight flying in the USA visit the United States Ultralight Association’s website at https://www.usua.org.

For more information about microlight flying in India visit the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s website at https://dgca.nic.in.

This presentation may also include video clips licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license and/or video clips of our own.

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